Continued: Cultural calendar

June 20 – 25 --- Carolina Summer Music Conservatory --- School of Music faculty leads students in an intensive, one-week session that focuses on individual performance and chamber music. The conservatory is open to students who are enrolled in grades 9 - 12. Activities will include master classes with University of South Carolina faculty as well as other professional musicians, chamber music coaching and private lessons. Students will have the opportunity to rehearse and perform solo works with professional accompanists and will attend concerts and recitals featuring conservatory faculty members. Evening concerts featuring School of Music faculty are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Clifford Leaman at 803-576-5893 or cleaman@mozart.sc.edu.

July 5 – 8 --- USC String Project Summer Camp --- USC String Project offers an annual summer camp for students in grades 3 - 12 who are studying string music. Students will have daily group music instruction culminating with a Thursday afternoon concert. Open to all students who have completed one year of instruction. For information, call 803-777-9568, or e-mail uscsp@mozart.sc.edu.

Theatre South Carolina NEW FOR THE 09/10 SEASON: Curtain Times for Theatre South Carolina productions are as follows: Wednesdays through Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 p.m. (plus 11 p.m. for half-price performances on first Saturday); Sundays, 3 p.m. Tickets are $16 for the public; $14 for university faculty and staff, seniors (age 60+) and the military; and $10 for students. Season-ticket holders see four shows for the price of three and can use their tickets in any combination for any show. Group tickets are available for parties of 10 or more. For more information, call 803-777-2551, or go to the Web site: http://www.cas.sc.edu/THEA/.

Main Stage Productions Sept. 25 – Oct. 4 --- “Cyrano de Bergerac,” by Edmond Rostand, adapted by Robert Richmond.” Longstreet Theatre. Robert Richmond, known for his imaginative approach to the classics both at the university and with the renowned Aquila Theatre Company, will direct his own adaptation of Edmund Rostand’s legendary work. In this hilarious and touching tale, one of literature’s most iconic figures, the large-nosed hero Cyrano de Bergerac, uses his unmatched intelligence and skill at swordplay to help a comrade win the heart of the fair Roxanne, whom Cyrano secretly desires. Nov. 13 – Nov. 22 --- “Radium Girls,” by D.W. Gregory. Longstreet Theatre. Based on the 1920s court case that laid the groundwork for the rights of modern-day workers, “Radium Girls” tells the story of Grace Fryer, a factory worker who discovers she and her coworkers are being knowingly poisoned by their employer, the US Radium Corporation. As Grace’s and her co-workers’ health rapidly declines, she finds herself in a battle for justice that pits her against both a powerful company and the community it serves. “Radium Girls” is the work of Pulitzer-Prize-nominated author Dorothy W. Gregory. Directed by special guest artist Shanga Parker, professional television and film actor and associate professor of acting at the University of Washington. Feb. 19 – Feb. 28 --- “The Arabian Nights,” by Mary Zimmerman. Longstreet Theatre. Theatre South Carolina brings to life the magical folk tales of ancient Persia in “The Arabian Nights,” an imaginative retelling of the legend of the “One Thousand and One Nights.” Angered by his first wife’s betrayal, a Persian king vows to marry a different virgin every night and then murder her at dawn to prevent future infidelity. The plan continues until he meets Scheherezade, the clever maiden who postpones her fate by telling wondrous tales whose endings she withholds until the following evening, thus delaying her execution. Experience the transformative power of storytelling in this enchanting spectacle from Tony Award-winning playwright Mary Zimmerman. April 16 – April 25 --- “The Winter’s Tale,” by William Shakespeare. Drayton Hall Theatre. Shakespeare’s masterpiece demonstrates the full range of the Bard’s imaginative and lyrical power. The uncontrollable jealousy of King Leontes of Sicilia brings his family to ruin and severs the alliance between two powerful monarchs. Only the love of a daughter believed to be lost forever can heal the rift and bring about the king’s absolution. Bridging the worlds of tragedy and comedy, “The Winter’s Tale” is ultimately a beautiful fable about the redemptive power of love. Directed by special guest artist Kathleen Conlin, associate artistic director for the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival and professor of directing at the University of Illinois Department of Theatre.